Gloucestershire and Chance to Shine coach honoured by the Queen

Frenchay Cricket Club and Chance to Shine coach Jim Donaldson has revealed he is still in shock after being awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Jim, who has been chairman of the Bristol Youth League since 2000 and a long-time supporter of girls and women’s cricket, said:

“It was an utter surprise and a surreal experience when I opened the letter … it felt as if it was happening to someone else. It’s a huge honour but I could not have done anything without my wife Sally who has been a massive support as well as lots of people at the club, the youth league and the Gloucestershire Cricket Board.

“You’re always a part of a team and that’s the secret of making whatever you do sustainable.”

He’s in his 24th year on the committee of the Bristol & District League club and has been Child Welfare Officer since 2005 and first team scorer for 22 summers and counting.

For ten years, Jim was also a youth committee member on the Gloucestershire Cricket Association, the forerunner of today’s Gloucestershire Cricket Board which he has served as the chairman of its Youth League and Performance Development Group for the last ten seasons.

He also set-up the Frenchay Falcons, the county’s only disability club side and has been instrumental in driving the development of the club’s facilities in recent years.

It’s when he begins to talk about his involvement since 2011 with Chance to Shine – a hugely successful national initiative to take cricket back to state schools – and girls cricket that his eyes begin to mist over.

Jim said: “I think back to six years ago, of Georgie Hunt and Molly Bliss … two young girls who had never played cricket before and who had no family connections with the sport until Frenchay took Chance to Shine into local primary schools.

“Well, in February they found themselves on a plane flying to Sri Lanka with the Gloucestershire Under-17 girls’ squad … what a fantastic and wonderful story that is.

“Chance to Shine is the absolute foundation for so much that has been achieved in recent seasons because without it girls cricket, in particular, would not be blossoming in the way it is.”

See Jim in action below as part of the award-winning Gloucestershire Cricket Board team:

The success of the Chance to Shine scheme can be clearly seen in Frenchay’s thriving junior set-up, in particular its burgeoning girls’ section which was started by Jim and Sally.

Jim takes most satisfaction from playing a part in helping youngsters realise their potential.

He added: “Cricket should be a social sport and if you’re lucky enough to have, as we do, decent facilities that are safe and secure for families then you should be making the most of them.

“That means giving children an opportunity because otherwise you will never know how far they might go …”

Jim will receive his BEM from the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, the Queen’s representative in the county, later this year while he and Sally are to be invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace next summer.

Gifts to the charity are currently being doubled thanks to the support of Chance to Shine Patron Adrian Beecroft. With your help, we can continue to spread the power of cricket to state schools and disadvantaged communities throughout England and Wales.

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Chance to Shine has built a powerful bank of free cricket teaching resources for primary schools so teachers can lead their own cricket sessions. The resources include lesson plans, instructional videos and top tips.

Chance to Shine is a national cricket charity that works in state schools and communities to spread the power of cricket. We believe that all children should be given the opportunity to play and learn through cricket.
We believe that cricket teaches children valuable skills like communication, teamwork and respect that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Chance to Shine work in state primary schools across England and Wales supporting schools to deliver cricket coaching to their pupils. We teach cricket in primary schools and support teachers with free resources including lesson plans, videos and tips from the professionals.

Chance to Shine is an independent charity that works to spread the power of cricket in schools and communities across the country. Set up as the Cricket Foundation, the charity aims to provide opportunities in state schools and deprived communities.

We provide competition opportunities for children in state secondary schools. We have also developed a set of digital resources for teachers. Chance to Shine will also deliver a girls' cricket programme in secondary schools, training young leaders and developing life skills through playing the sport.